Case Studies

Case studies are research-informed stories that fuse some facet of theory with an aspect of practice. Researchers who are focused on complex, unresolved issues and human phenomena within particular contexts, functioning as a “detective” or “reporter,” often employ the case study method. The selected problem is studied by framing an inquiry, planning a course of action, searching for clues, generating tentative solutions, and keeping possibilities open. Case studies as deliberately narrow, deep passages of inquiry engage questions of value and personal bias. The researcher also addresses contextual influences, communicates in depth with others, and generates possible explanations for discoveries. Different points of view, well-developed characters, believable narrative, and tolerance for ambiguity and even contradiction are all demonstrated in case study writing. The case writer's lived inquiry moves from a state of awareness to informed activism—what has been called “intelligent action.”

Although an entrenched methodology in many scholar-practitioner fields, namely law, medicine, and psychology, case writing in education is gradually becoming more commonplace. Expansion of the case method in administration studies could support a deeper integration of theory and application while increasing the field's relevance. Superintendents have characterized case studies as having utility for exposing administrator candidates to real-life dilemmas requiring thoughtful decision making. Importantly, the case method in leadership preparation assists the profession in linking to two ends that both scholars and practitioners value.

Case stories can be usefully distinguished from cases, and they are related. Initially, prospective leaders think of case studies as cases, or as short, nonanalytical vignettes used as warm-up exercises for discussions. Researchers list a host of benefits for leadership aspirants when case study is used in such multifarious ways as to critically interrogate assumptions dominating the administration field and one's own context; collect and analyze data; build arguments based on evidence; and develop interpersonal skills. As informed change agents, school practitioners are better positioned to influence the culture of their workplaces and beyond. One outlet for sharing their research-based stories is the Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership (JCEL) (http://www.ucea.org/cases).

Case studies featuring the site-based reform of challenging settings are experiencing increased popularity. Using the case study method, students examine a range of controversial topics either reflected in the literature or potentially so. In one professor's case study integrating aspiring school leaders' writing, it was found that diversity capacity building for at-risk student populations was an uppermost concern. Topics included the effects of high-stakes testing on grade retention and buffers for developing cultural resiliency through expanded forms of capital. One practitioner's case research explored the effects of standardized testing on an elementary school, finding that an unbridgeable gulf exists between what teachers and legislators believe to be legitimate educational practices.

Finally, case studies are valued as a method for testing theory and practice against one another and engaging developing scholar-practitioners in reflective processes that can lead to action.